$22 Million for 1 Hotel Penthouse?

Matt Goyer at Redfin posted an awesome post about the 1 Hotel penthouse the other day asking the questions, who’s going to buy it?

Some highlights…

10,350 interior square feet, 3,340 exterior square feet, 3 kitchens, 1 elevator, a koi pond.

With a unit currently listed over $9 million, the price per square foot is $1,615. If the listing price of the penthouse is the same price per square foot, we’re looking at a record for a downtown condo at $22,109,350.

I find it repulsive! How many lives can be saved for that amount? Granted, I think the place looks really cool, but whoever buys it better have a positive record or I’ll find myself getting sick every time I pass the place. This makes me sound like somewhat of a hypocrite since a comment I left on Matt’s blog praised 1 Hotel for following their mission of being environmentally conscious, but the afterthought…

Wanna Spend the Night?

Rain City Guide posted some fun questions regarding a new episode for Date My House.

“As a buyer, would you appreciate an owner inviting you to hang out at their home for a long period of time? Would you appreciate the opportunity to have a party there for your friends to get their opinion? Have a sleepover? Spend a week maybe? Or would you view that as an act of desperation and say, I don’t want to buy a house where the owner is that desperate. Does a car salesman offer you a test drive in the hope you won’t want to get out from behind the wheel and back into your beat up Chevy? Would you be afraid to spend the night at a home for sale for fear that going back home afterward would be such a let down, that you would be tempted to buy the house?”

I think it’s a great idea!!! I think it would be strange for someone to not be excited about sharing the home their looking to sell. Especially considering the assumed ownership of the buyer when making the offer. Being a Realtor in the downtown area, I think it would be especially beneficially to everybody since a purchase in the city is more of a lifestyle experiencing everything around you rather than what activities you can come up with in a limited amount of space. I’m just an assistant, but I’m going to bring up the idea with my partner (i hate saying “boss”).

If anyone would be interested in staying in a Belltown studio or downtown luxury 1 bedroom with view (current furnished/vacant listings), I’m sure we’d be willing to negotiate with our sellers.

However, knowing the mindset of experienced Realtors, I know the fear of a lawsuit would be in order. If I didn’t have a license on the line, I’d consider making a living off of staying at people’s places for free (I’m sure it would better than my studio apt. in Capitol Hill). How would you get around liability with that one? A completed purchase and sale (and earnest) under the condition of being able to spend the night?

Another thing Ardell mentions is that she was disappointed that the show is centered around “poor desperate sellers” trying to seller their house. I haven’t seen the show, but if that’s the case I would be disappointed by watching an interesting TLC program that wasn’t created out of entertainment.